As is well known, as circuit density of electronic devices increases in order to achieve faster and faster processing speeds, there is a corresponding increasing demand for the removal of heat generated by these devices. The increased heat load arises both because the devices are packaged more closely together and because the circuits themselves are operated at increasingly higher clock frequencies. Nonetheless, it is also known that thermal runaway conditions and excessive heat generated by circuits is a leading cause of failure of electronic devices. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the demand for heat removal from these devices will increase indefinitely.
Accordingly, there is a large and significant need to provide useful cooling mechanisms for electronic components, individually and at all levels of packaging, including for example, rack-mounted or blade-mounted electronic components of various large computer systems today.